Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
In the days when pop singles were a physical moment of beauty, a piece of substantial art that was coveted for its warmth and presence, as well as the hopeful indomitable style of the cover which was a reflection or a symbol of the disc’s lyrics and meaning, It’s Karma It’s Cool’s latest offering would have been one that would have no doubt been prized by many as a depiction of its genre, and one in which its creators would have had their name plastered across such publications that promoted the artists in gloss colour pictures and revered tones.
The days may have slipped into history, but the hosts of the song, It’s Karma It’s Cool, are very much powering on, they continue in their pursuit of immersing the masses and the faithful listener with A Gentle Reminder that no matter your choice in music there is always room for the exceptional to thrust its way into your life with a bang and a feeling of contentment.
The band tell you that you can label them in whatever genre you feel fit, but that is not the point, a genuine sense of incredible and touched by joy is always to be felt when you listen to the Lincolnshire based band, and A Gentle Reminder is no exception.
In the space of the next three months, the band plan to release six singles, a high ask that forty years in the age of video channels and studios having the sway to push the numbers of sales to unknown steps, bit which in the modern day could be considered awkward, It’s Karma It’s Cool have no pressure on them to do anything but showcase their unruffled persona and friendly disposition and do what they have always done, create music that fires up the heart and beats loudly to the world.
A Gentle Reminder is all that we need to listen to music that will inflame the veins of desire, to feed the fire of musical hunger and push onwards with kindness and verve. Long live karma, long live the ability to be so cool that it doesn’t matter what they naysayers predict, for in the end the souvenir of any collection is what it means to you; a gentle reminder that great music comes from the heart and the mind. Ian D. Hall